One of the most common types of comfort and convenience devices located within offices and other business and work areas are known generally as “water coolers”. Such devices were generally referred to as water coolers due to the objective of maintaining the dispensed water at a pleasant refreshing cool temperature. While the original name of water coolers persist, such devices have evolved somewhat and provide cooled water together with heated water and in some instances a “super hot” water capability. While a variety of water cooler designs have been provided by practitioners in the art, most utilize a multiple gallon reservoir bottle which typically holds five gallons of water and which functions as a water reservoir for the cooler. In most devices, the multiple gallon bottle is inverted and installed neck down upon the top of the water cooler device. The bottle remains inverted during use and relies upon gravity to dispense water as required.
While such multiple gallon water bottle coolers have remained popular through many years, one vexing problem has persisted. A typical multiple gallon water bottle holds five gallons of water and is heavy and difficult to lift, invert and install upon the top of the water cooler. Many office workers simply lack the strength to perform water bottle replacement.
Faced with the long term popularity of such water coolers and the difficulty of water bottle installation, practitioners in the art have endeavored to provide a variety of devices which achieve the basic function of installing a multiple gallon water upon a cooler. One example of such devices is found in U.S. Pat. No. 8,408,420 issued to Almada et al which sets forth a LIFTING AND ROTATING WATER RESERVOIR WITH ATTACHED WATER BOTTLE FOR DISPENSING OF WATER FROM WATER COOLER in which a water dispensing apparatus is installed upon the upper portion of a five gallon water reservoir and the combined structure of the five gallon water bottle and water dispensing apparatus are joined together and thereafter lifted and inverted and maintained within a supporting frame during use. The combined structure of the water bottle and water dispensing apparatus are raised within the support frame and are inverted by a gear rack inverter all of which is powered by an electric motor.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,408,420 issued to Almada et al sets forth a LIFTING AND ROTATING WATER RESERVOIR WITH ATTACHED WATER BOTTLE FOR DISPENSING OF WATER FROM WATER COOLER which is a continuation in part of U.S. Pat. No. 8,640,924 and which shows an identical apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,996 sets forth a water bottle lifting apparatus having a wheeled base supporting a vertical mast. A shuttle is movable upon the vertical mast and supports a clamp for gripping a typical five gallon water bottle. A pulley and cable arrangement is secured to the bottle clamp and is utilized in raising the water bottle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,814 issued to Posly sets forth a WATER BOTTLE LIFTING MECHANISM having a wheeled base supporting a vertically extending frame. A shuttle is movable vertically upon the frame center member and supports a pair of bands which encircle and engage a five gallon water bottle. A lift mechanism includes an elongated threaded shaft which threadably engages the bottle supporting clamp and shuttle and is rotated by an electric drive motor and gear mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,868,033 issued to LeDuff sets forth a LIFTING TRUCK PARTICULARLY ADAPTED FOR CYLINDRICAL CONTAINERS in which a hand truck supported by a pair of wheels and defining a support base includes a vertically movable platform and lifting mechanism operative thereon. A water such as a five gallon bottle is received upon the platform and secured by a belt and neck clamp. The lifting apparatus raises the platform and the water bottle upon the hand truck.
Published US Patent application US2006/0056947 filed by Posly sets for a WATER BOTTLE LIFTING, ROTATING AND MOUNTING APPARATUS having a motorized mechanism for securely gripping the bottle, a motorized mechanism for raising and lowering the bottle and a motorized mechanism for rotationally inverting the bottle to enable a person with limited physical strength to lift and move a full upright bottle from the floor, invert the bottle, and place it down into the well of the water cooler. The mechanism for securing the water bottle includes a pair of articulated jaws which pivot to grip the periphery of a water bottle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,036,382 issued to Perry et al sets forth a BOTTLE HANDLING APPARATUS in which a water bottle carrier is coupled to a vertically supporting track mechanism. The carrier supporting a water bottle is moved up the outer side of the track to a top position and then pivots over the top of the track to an inverted position above the water cooler. The water bottle is then moved downwardly on the interior side of the track for installation upon the water cooler.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,200 issued to Burgers et al sets forth a BOTTLED WATER INSTALLER having a wheel supported base together with a vertically extending track. The apparatus further includes a bottle receiving platform secured to a shuttle carried by the vertical track. In operation, the shuttle is moved upwardly carrying the platform and bottle vertically to the top of the track. The shuttle passed over the upper end of the track inverting the platform and water bottle for installation within a water cooler.
Published US Patent application US2008/0245436 filed by Lang sets forth a BEVERAGE DISPENSER WITH APPARATUS FOR LIFTING AND TRANSFERRING LOADS having a telescoping vertical support which raises a platform bearing a water bottle to an upright position above the water cooler. The vertical support is formed of a plurality of extending frame members.
Published US Patent application US2004/0265104 filed by Davis, Jr. sets forth a CONTAINER TRANSPORTING DEVICE includes a hand truck having a bottle supporting platform together with a platform raising apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,996 issued to Wagner et al and U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,614 issued to Perussi et al set forth further examples of hand truck bottle raising and inverting apparatus.
Several related prior art patents and applications set forth water bottle lifting and inverting apparatus in which a pivoting bottle support is the primary mechanism for lifting and inverting the water bottle. Examples of such devices are found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,857 issued to Yared; U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,692 issued to Livengood; and Published US patent application US2009/0304487.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have to some extent improved the art and in some instances enjoyed moderate commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing unresolved need in the art for an improved water bottle lifting and installing device which is efficient, low in cost and easy to use when operated by people of limited physical strength.